Worcester - Massachusetts - Culture

Worcester city, seat of Worcester county, central Massachusetts, U.S., is located on the Blackstone River, about midway between Boston and Springfield. It is a major commercial and industrial centre and the state's second largest city. It is the hub of an urbanized area bounded on the south by Tolland and Windham Counties CT and Providence County, RI; on the west by Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties MA; on the north by Cheshire Co NH; on the east by Middlesex and Norfolk Counties MA. Worcester has the largest area of any county in the state. Many residents are of French and Swedish ancestry.

Principal economic activities are agriculture, cattle and poultry, and manufacturing, plastic products and metalworking machinery. Modern industries are highly diversified and include the production of metals, textiles, clothing, paper, electrical machinery, and precision instruments. Hospitals, colleges, and other service-related institutions and firms also contribute to the economy.

The city, a noted educational and cultural centre, is the seat of the College of the Holy Cross, 1843; the oldest Roman Catholic college in New England, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1865, the Worcester State College, 1874, Clark University, 1887, Assumption College, opened 1904; university status 1950, and the Worcester campus of Becker College, 1887. Other institutions include the Worcester Art Museum, the EcoTarium, formerly the New England Science Center, the Worcester Historical Museum, and the Higgins Armory Museum, with a notable collection of medieval armour. The annual Worcester Music Festival, which has provided classical music since 1858, is the oldest music festival in the United States. Lake Quinsigamond and the Quinsigamond State Park are to the north.

The Worcester art museum, a n American cultural jewel, is the first American art museum to purchase work by Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin. From Egyptian artefacts to modern art, its exceptional collection is displayed in 36 galleries and spans 5,000 years of art and culture. The Worcester historical museum seeks to interpret the city’s history through examining relics of its past. Its permanent collection includes Civil War memorabilia.

The Quinsigamond State Park consists of two sites on Lake Quinsigamond and is home to a 2000 m. rowing course, a beach for swimming and tennis courts and the Wachusett Mountain offers a range of activities year round, including skiing, events, festivals, bike and auto races, barbecues and hiking.